Call of Duty has been a staple of the FPS genre for years ever since its release. However, when World at War came out, Treyarch added in a little something by the name of Zombies Mode. Ever since that fateful day, CoD Zombies exploded in popularity, with one of the latest games: Black Ops Cold War, having the latest iteration. Today we’ll go over the Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War Zombies Maps. We’ll go over what they are, and which ones are the best and the worst to play. Let’s get into it.
What Is Zombies Mode?
For those uninitiated to the Zombies experience, Call of Duty’s Zombies mode is a real treat. Created by Treyarch way back in World at War, the sheer popularity of the game mode led it to have iterations throughout the Call of Duty games. Its premise was simple: Players need to survive through waves of zombie hordes either alone or together. The waves will get more dangerous the more waves players defeat, and hidden secrets are lurking on the map for players to find.
The cool thing about Zombies Mode is the fact that you can have up to 4 players working together to kick ass and take names. The endless waves of zombies are a bit of a challenge if the player’s alone, but together? That’s where the real fun begins. Players get points every time they kill or damage a zombie, or through barrier repairs. These points can then be used to obtain perks, weapons, area unlocks, special objects, or abilities. However, zombies are a tenacious bunch, as they come out from all over the place. Windows, holes in the ground, et cetera.
Matches end if all players are either dead or incapacitated by a bad case of zombies. Overall, the game mode is really fun and tests the team’s endurance, teamwork, and tactical acumen to survive the longest.
List of Call of Duty Cold War Zombie Maps
Forsaken
First on the list of Black Ops: Cold War Zombie maps to talk about is Forsaken. Released on October 7th, 2021, this map was set in Test Site Anna, USSR, and has players fight an endless wave of zombies with 2 optional objectives: To get the hell out of the test site, or go for the Pyrrhic Victory ending. Either way, you’ll win.
Players get 2 new things on Forsaken. The first is a perk called PhD Slider, which gives players the ability to explode when sliding into zombies. The range and damage of said explosion increase depending on how long, and the distance of your slide before you hit a zombie. This skill also increases in deadliness the more the player invests in it. Running the gamut from immunity to self-inflicted explosion damage, exploding while falling from a vertical distance, et cetera.
Mauer der Toten
The next map on the list we need to talk about is Mauer der Toten, which was added on the 15th of July, 2021, as free content. Specifically, it’s part of the Season 4: Reloaded update and takes place after Operation Excision on the Outbreak Map.
In Mauer der Toten, the Dark Aether story continues and players need to take on new enemies and terrors in East Berlin. Why? Because a zombie invasion has turned the city into a deathtrap and you need to find out why.
Unlike Forsaken, there’s not much that players can make use of in terms of new items or perks. It’s just more zombie fun for the whole group. In short, if you’re looking for more CoD: Zombies action, then Mauer der Toten will provide and then some.
Which reminds us, we talked about the Outbreak map, yes? Let’s talk about that map next.
Outbreak
Let’s talk about Outbreak next, which came out on the 25th of February, 2021, and was included in the Black Ops Cold War’s Season 2 Content. The map takes place in the Ural mountains and has some aspects of the Combined Arms and Fireteam maps.
You can think of Outbreak as a mishmash of different Call of Duty Maps added into one. Because of this, there are a lot of references crammed in it. From events, Easter Eggs, and a whole lot more. However, the fact that there are a lot of things added into Outbreak is what will make it one of the more… controversial maps on Cold War Zombies. We’ll talk about that later in the article.
Die Maschine
Let’s talk about Die Maschine next, the 33rd Zombies map overall in the series. It takes place in an abandoned Nazi research facility in Morasko, Poland. The facility’s objective? Why tear open a hole to another reality of course!
But we digress, Die Maschine is a map that has the classic Zombies gameplay: Perk-a-Colas make their return, Wonder Weapons are everywhere if you know what to do and where to look, et cetera. One thing to take note of is that Die Maschine is an expanded version of the Nacht der Untoten map from World at War, Black ops, and Black Ops 3 days. Die Maschine has the original bunker ruins on Nacht der Untoten as its map’s centerpiece. In addition to this, players can also go to the Dark Aether, which is an additional plus to this map’s awesomeness.
For those that are inquisitive enough, Die Maschine also has several Easter Eggs for players to get. They’re scattered all over the map and require a few things to properly manifest. However, they usually have several cool things to give to players when done properly.
Firebase Z
Last but not least is Firebase Z, map 2 of the Dark Aether Saga, and the 35th CoD Zombies map ever made. Released on the 4th of February, 2021 in the game’s 1st season, it’s the level after Die Maschine chronologically.
Players are thrown toward Outpost 25, a research facility of Omega Group that’s found in the Vietnamese jungles. The whole place is filled with a massive amount of Dark Aether tech and weapons due to the research being conducted. In addition to all this tomfoolery, there’s also a dimensional rift inside the facility.
We can all see where this is going.
Anyhow, Firebase Z is divided into 2 places: The facility itself, a small village that’s half private barracks, and half home area. The facility has a huge mining area for the employees to mine more Dark Aether and experiments with it, and you can go to either spots with a teleporter.
Overall, it was a good map to start the Zombies experience for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Not as great as maps from the previous entries, sure. But at least this one has something going for it.
What Are the Best Call of Duty Cold War Zombies Maps?
Now that we know what the Cold War Zombies Maps are, let’s rank them from best, average, and bad.
Best Cold War Zombies Maps
Forsaken
The first map on this list is Forsaken, the final Zombies map in Black Ops Cold War. This is the map that introduces players to the Forsaken, who will be very familiar if you’ve played previous Zombies entries. Anyhow, he entered the Dark Aether in the BOCW Zombies reveal and changed. He grew even more powerful and overall wants to expand his influence into our world.
Layout-wise, Forsaken is pretty good. The map is set on an Omega base that looks like a typical town in the USA. You go through various streets and stores as you defeat zombies, teleport into various areas, and find hidden loot and weapons. On Forsaken, the Wonder Weapon is the Chrysalax, something that should be hoarded due to the sheer power that it wields. It even has a transformation ability, as it changes from an SMG and axe form based on what the player wants it to do.
All in all, Forsaken is the sendoff that we already expected. It’s an ending to the Zombies season in Black Ops Cold War and has stingers for people wanting more Call of Duty Zombies action in the future. After all, someone has gone inside the Dark Aether again (Looking at you, Samantha), and lord knows what she wants there. Oh, and Peck is looking for something, which is probably not good for everyone else.
Mauer der Toten
Mauer Der Toten is the 2nd map in the best Zombies maps category for a few reasons. Firstly, it focuses on a vertical alignment, as the map starts players atop a tall building. There’s a zipline that’s between a convenience store and a hotel as players make their way down the building and into the streets. After that, it’s to the subway to activate the power source before going back up the streets. And that’s just the first few parts of the map.
Mauer der Toten goes on for a few more stages in its runtime and has several cool stuff for players to find. These range from a Pack-a-Punch on a side of the Berline Main Street, as well as a lot of lore stuff related to the wider Zombies game. For those that want to kill stuff, the wonder weapon, the CRBR-S, is an utter joy. It goes from an energy-beam-firing pistol, all the way to a behemoth of a gun that can destroy zombies at the push of a button.
Story-wise, Mauer der Toten takes place after Operation Excision on the Outbreak Map. Your group was captured by Omega, and your job is to stop Valentina as she’s gained control of the Dark Aether stocks in the map to control the zombies. Overall, Mauer der Toten is a great map to play by yourself or with friends. Oh yeah, one last thing: There’s a robot version of Santa Claus that you can power up on Mauer der Toten. If you do so, he’ll help in kicking zombie ass and keeping your ass and the other player’s ass alive. It’s one downside? It’s not active long enough to be overpowered.
Average Cold War Zombies Maps
Die Maschine
Starting us off in the Average list is Die Maschine. It’s the first Zombies map to be released on Black Ops: Cold War, and should be a familiar sight to a few people. After all, it’s a bigger version of Nacht Der Untoten with several new additions to the classic layout. It takes place a few years after Nacht Der Untoten, and your objective is survival, as per usual.
There are also a few Easter Eggs scattered here and there for inquisitive players, and the DIE Shockwave is a beast. It has multiple versions as well and can refill ammunition by sucking up any zombies in your path. Pack-a-Punch also returns in this map, and overall, this map is glorious.
However, it doesn’t have the stuff that made Mauer der Toten and Forsaken the best maps in the game. But for those that want a great Zombies experience? Die Maschine is going to be their jam.
Bad Cold War Zombies Maps
Firebase Z
Starting the list of the bad maps in Black Ops: Cold War Zombies is Firebase Z, an original map that has some new things sprinkled in here and there. Players start in a village with the usual zombies, and then they have to make their way around and into the base connected to the village. Also, you’re in Vietnam.
Vietnam shenanigans aside, Firebase Z is a pretty solid entry in Black Ops: Cold War zombies. However, when compared to Forsaken, Mauer der Toten, and Die Maschine, it’s a bit on the losing side of things. There are good things on Firebase Z, don’t get us wrong. However, the level layout isn’t in its favor, nor does the mission-based gameplay that’s a big departure from the usual Zombies fare.
However, the wonder weapon on Firebase Z, the RAI-K84, is pretty good. It shoots out energy balls that utterly destroy enemies in its way, and it’s an assault weapon, which has lots of ammunition. You can go on killing sprees with this weapon, which is why this is above the final entry on the list.
Outbreak
map Last of the Bad maps in Black Ops Cold War Zombies is Outbreak. A map that could’ve been a good one, and a revolutionary map at that. But bad decisions in design and how weird it is in general to classic Zombies gameplay led to its downfall that fans would rather forget.
The main reason for this is the fact that Outbreak is a 180-degree shift from the usual Zombies experience. After all, Zombies are round-based affairs where waves of zombies try to kill your ass. However, Outbreak will only let players progress after completing certain objectives that were shown on the Round. You read that correctly, you need to complete an objective before you progress the round. This can lead to games that last for hours, which can be incredibly annoying.
In addition to this, the whole map looks like a Frankenstein map. AKA, it has various parts of multiple Call of Duty Zombies maps mashed up to form Outbreak. There are a few side quests here and there, but they’re not really relevant to the map’s storyline and are only there for Easter Eggs.
Overall, Outbreak isn’t a good map to play on, at all. It looks really lazy, and there’s no strategic thinking which is part and parcel of Zombies maps in previous games. In previous games, you need to be very careful and coordinate with your team to achieve survival. On Outbreak, you’re pretty much screwed if you don’t rush to the objective. TLDR: Don’t play Outbreak, it’s bad. You’re better off playing the other maps. Only use this map if you want to level up weapons.
Alternatives to Cold War Zombies Mode
Now that we’ve talked about Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, let’s go over games like it. We’ll start with Left 4 Dead 2. Followed by World War Z, and finally Dying Light 1 and 2.
Left 4 Dead 2
Starting off our list is Left 4 Dead 2, a game released 13 years ago but is still played today. For those that don’t recall correctly, Left 4 Dead 2 is the sequel for Left 4 Dead and adds a few things to the base game. You can honestly think of Left 4 Dead 2 as an expansion rather than a full-on Sequel. The general gameplay of Left 4 Dead has been reiterated quite a bit in a couple of games as well. Particularly Vermintide 1 and 2, and the upcoming Darktide game.
Players play one of the game’s 4 survivors as they go over various maps with differing stages. These stages are hard, and there will be infected that will try to kill your ass. In addition to this, there are also special infected that have abilities that can be devastating in the wrong situations.
Oh, and for those that want to do a 4v4 showdown between 2 groups of players? Versus Mode exists, which is why Left 4 Dead 2 is still being played today. Versus Mode is fun personified and should be played by a group of friends at least once.
World War Z
Following Left 4 Dead 2 is World War Z. A more recent release and one that follows after the film adaptation of the World War Z novel. This one is a bit more arcadey when compared to Left 4 Dead 2 with a dash of realism. Don’t get us wrong, Left 4 Dead 2 is incredibly arcade, and the gameplay can facilitate some hilarious shenanigans. However, World War Z adds some realism to it as there are actual stakes to what the player is doing. A map would have players escort unarmed civilians. Another would put players in Moscow as their characters look for a bunker made during the days of the USSR.
Overall, these maps are great to play with friends but don’t expect the AI to be as generous. If you plan on having a few hours of fun and not going that hard on the zombie killing, World War Z is a decent and fun time. That is, of course, if you’re playing with friends.
Dying Light 1 and 2
Last but not least are Dying Light 1 and 2, both single-player games with multiplayer elements. Created by Techland, Dying Light 1 and 2 are open-world zombie games where players are trapped in cities and infected with the Zombie virus. Harran for the first game, and Villedor for the 2nd game. Both have their unique mechanics and players are encouraged to be creative and use the environment to kill the zombies.
In addition to this, there’s also an emphasis on creating your unique weapons in both games. You don’t get guns until the late game on Dying Light. After all, loud noises can attract zombies. Instead, melee attacks and avoiding zombies are the name of the game, and being able to do both is how you survive in Harran and Villedor.
Overall, both games are great, and the movement is incredible. On the first game at least, there were kinks in the 2nd that were fixed eventually. All in all, definitely pick up Dying Light, it’s well worth the cash.
